Hinge construction.



F. J. MANUEL.

HINGE GONSTRUCTIOM APPLICATION FILED IIIAII. l0, IsII.

1,212,792, Patented Jan. 16,1917.

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OF'SYRA'CUSE, NEWYOEK, A CORPORATION OF NEW' YORK'.

GONSTRUCTION.

To.4 all wkomz't. may concern y Be it knownthat I, FLORIAN J.y Mannini., a citizen of.V the United;i States, and a. resident. of Syracuse,v inthe?toux-ity,Y of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a certain newl and useful Hinge. Construc-v tion, ofl which the following. is a. specification;

This inventionlia's forM itsobject a. hinge construction for the; coversof. boies,.partic ularly applicable for the-lidsor-covers Or the cover plates4 of conduit outletboxes.

Oneof the objects ofthe inimntion` is to provide a hinge in whclrnoI hinge or. pivot pin is used, andanother Objectisto provide a hinge which is out of sight; and the inven-V tion consists inr=y the: novel features 'of con struction hereinafter. set forth and claimed.

In describing, thisinvention, reference is had to the accompanying; drawingsyin, which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views. v

Figure 1 isa sectional view, partlyy in elevation, of a` conduit Outlet boxA provided with my invention,l a portion of an-j electrical appliance located.. withinthe boit. being Aalso shown. Fig, 2. isanlinverted. plan. of the cover plate provided: with. my, invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional view. takenv on` line A-A, Figi. 2',` the cover plate. being here shown as` beingprovi-ded". with a. sectional cover or, lid andoneof these covers or lids beingshown in closed position andthe other in Open .osition. e Fig.. 4 is a sectional view on lme 4B, Fig. 3. e

This invention comprises.M generally, a plate having: ani opening.l therethrough, a cover or lidfor the lopening,-.t he cover` or having .a hinge leaf overlappingthe` margin ofthe plate=aroundthe opening and lbearing. on the edge. of the walk-around.saidlopening, anda spring secured to the plate and `engagV ing, the hinge leafy topress. and hold fthe same against said edge and henceholdthe cover, from removal. Usually the Opening includesa notch the marginof the` Wall around thev opening intowhich'-'notch the hingegleafi seats.

1 designatesthe conduit outletboirA which may be of any desirable form,y size andconstruction. V`

2 is the cover plate which is usually formed up ont. of sheet. metal andseeured to lthelbox in any7 suitable manner, as by screws extending through openings 3 in the Specii'cation of Letters Patent'.

PatentedJan. 16, 1917;

Animation. nidngacaio, 19.14./ seriaii'o. 823,698.`

cover plate,.and into suitable threaded open ings in the box.

4 is any electrical appliance within the box. The cover plate 2 is formed with an open ing through which the electrical appliance is accessible, as for thev` purpose of inserting. or removing a plug, the. niaiginf of the wall aroundthe opening being formed with a notch 5, which is here shown aswidecoinpared with its depth.

6 is a cover or lidw-liichI is hingedto the plate- 2, the cover having a hinge leaf 7 which extends into the notch and normally overlaps the inner face Of the cover plate.

8 is a spring secured to the inner face of the cover plate 2 and engaging the hinge leaf to retain the same in thenotch and also hold the cover or lid. 6in either its open or its closed position.A Thehinge lea-f7 is in the forni of a tongue having an angle between its ends, the inner side of. the anglead-joining the cover being arranged atl substantially a right angle tothe plane of the cover, and .theiother orV outer side. of the angle at the free end of theleaf extendin outwardly substantially parallel to the plane of the cover or lid 6 and to the inner- SideV of the cover plate 2.

The portions of the tongue at andV on opposite sides of the apex of the angle movably lit the notch 5, and the outer side of the angle .of the leaf is formed with laterally extending lugs 9 which prevent the withdrawal and displacement of thephinge leaf when the cover is in. open position, as said lugs 9 project beyondthesides ofthe notch 5. The leaf 7 seatsat the apex of its interior angle against. the bottom of:` the notch 5 during the opening and closing of the cover or lid 6.

The spring 8 is a` flat spring fixed at 10 near one end to the cover plate 2 and having at its free end an angular flange 11 opposed to the open side of the notch and bearing, when thecover is closed, against the inner face of the leg or side of the angle of the hinge leaf contiguous to the cover` 6,lv as seen on the leftof Fig. 3. n

vThe angle of the spring. 8 extendsparound the exterior angle of the hinge leaf and the interior angle of the spring forms a seat for the end edge 12 of the hinge leaf when the coverv is. Open, as seeny at the right end 0f Et 3 The end margin of the flange l1 of the spring is usually bent slightly toward the Vhinge leaf, as at 13, and formed with an outturned lip 14, the portion 13 bearing against the hinge leaf during the opening and closing of the cover or lid 6.

The body of the spring 8 bears against the outer end of the hinge leaf to hold the cover 6 closed, and during the opening and closing of the cover or lid, the flange 11 presses against the hinge leaf and holds the interior angle thereof against the bottom of the notch. Also during the opening or closing of the cover or lid 6, the end edge of the hinge leaf bears against the body of the spring 8 which exerts tension .thereon tending to hold the cover or lid 6 open, and also tending to close the same after the cover or lid 6 has been started toward its closed position. The cover plate 2 and the lid or cover 6 with its hinge leaf 7 are usually stamped from sheet metal and the cover is also provided with an angular marginal bead which seats against the cover plate 2. The hinge projects from this margin.

In the box here shown, a sectional cover or lid 6 is shown formed in two parts which open in opposite directions to permit the withdrawal and insertion of a plug out of and into the electrical appliance 4, and the meeting edges of the lids are formed with registering cutouts 15 for the electrical cords attached to the plug.

This cover and hinge construction is particularly advantageous in that no hinge pin is employed, and in that the parts are cheaply manufactured and easily assembled.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a plate having an opening therethrough, a cover or lid for the opening, the cover or lid having a hinge leaf extending under the margin of the plate around the opening, and bearing on the edge of the wall around ,said opening, and a spring secured to the inner side of the plate and engaging the hinge leaf to press and hold the same against said edge and hence hold the cover or lid from removal, substan tially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a plate having an` opening and a notch in the margin of the wall around the opening, a cover or lid for the opening having a hinge leaf formed with an angle between its ends, the hinge leaf being seated at the apex of its interior angle against the bottom of the notch, and a spring secured to the plate and bearing against the outer side or leg of the angle of the leaf and having an angular flange engaging the inner side or leg of the angle of the leaf adjoining the cover or lid for holding the leaf in the notch with the apex of the interior angle thereof seated against the bottom of the notch, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a plate having an opening and a notch in the margin of the wall around the opening, a cover or lid foi` the opening having a hinge leaf formed with an angle between its ends, the hinge leaf being seated at the apex of its interior angle against the bottom of the notch, a spring secured to the inner side of the plate and having a flange opposed to the open side of the notch and engaging the hinge leaf, the portion of the hinge leaf near the apex of the angle therein movably fitting the notch and the leaf being formed with laterally extending lugs extending beyond the sides of the notch, substantially as and for the piu. pose described.

5. The combination of a plate having an opening and a notch in the margin of the wall around the opening, a cover or lid for the opening having a hinge leaf formed with an angle between its ends, the hinge leaf being seated at the apex of its interior angleagainst the bottom of the notch, and a' spring secured to the inner face of the plate and bearing against the outer side or leg of the angle of the leaf and having an angular flange, the angle of the spring extending around the exterior angle of the leaf and the flange engaging the inner side of the angle ofthe leaf adJoining the cover or lid for holding the leaf in the notch with the -apex 'of the interior angle thereof seated against 'the bottom of the notch, the leaf belng formed with laterally extending lugs at its free ends extending beyond the ends of the notch, substantially as and for the purpose specified. l

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 2nd day of March, 1914.

FLORIAN J. MANTEL. Witnesses:

WM. CORNELL BLANDING, C. C. SoHoENEom Copies of this patent may be obtained for five dents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

